PBO warns government shipbuilding costs are off the mark

This week on The House, Evan Solomon sits down with Canada's Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page to discuss his latest report on the purchase of joint support ships. Why did Page conclude that the government's estimated costs are off the mark? We also get reaction to Page's report from the Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, Andrew Saxton. Former Conservative senator Michael Fortier joins us to talk about why he believes the Senate is useless, and what he thinks should happen to it. MP Claude Patry started the week in the NDP caucus, and end it as a member of the Bloc Quebecois. CBC political blogger Kady O'Malley talks about the politics of floor-crossing.

The CurrentCanadians the nicest people in the world, says BBC, but are we? - March 31, 2015Mar 31, 2015 | 25:00Canadians are aggressively nice and unapologetically always sorry for anything. American Eric Weiner shares his delight over how polite we are and comedian Aisha Alfa exposes the snarl in our smiles. Plus a look at the design behind the office cubicle.

As It HappensScientist gets stung 1000 times to determine most painful insect stingMar 30, 2015 | 6:31An Arizona scientist endured thousands of bites and stings from ants, bees and wasps to determine which one of them has the most painful sting.

QThe Slits' Viv Albertine: "They'd never seen a girl play guitar"Mar 30, 2015 | 19:26Musician, actress and new author Viv Albertine reflects on her brutally honest memoir about being a female trailblazing in the 1970s punk scene.

IdeasThe Vixen and the Virgin - Women, Espionage and Propaganda in WW1Oct 15, 2014 | 53:59Two independent women find themselves in front of firing squads during WW1. Nurse Edith Cavell is heralded as a heroine and a saint. Exotic dancer and courtesan Mata Hari becomes a symbol of evil and the enemy within.

The CurrentCanadian citizenship test too difficult, failing visible minorities - March 27, 2015Mar 27, 2015 | 11:33A new study on changes made to the citizenship test 5 years ago is pointing to a troubling trend about who becomes a citizen. Statistics show there's been a dramatic drop in would-be citizens passing the test.... especially from visible minorities.

IdeasUnderground RomeMar 12, 2015 | 53:59Delving into Rome’s past by venturing into what lies below it. Megan Williams goes underground in the city that was once known as the capital of the world. She uncovers the quiet secrets it continues to offer up and the questions that hang unsolved.

WireTapWhy Is Mason Reese Crying?Mar 20, 2015 | 26:29For Jonathan Goldstein, YouTube offers endless nostalgia, but he always finds himself returning to the same subject-- a precocious, child actor from the early 70’s named Mason Reese.

The CurrentDoctors fight for their right to refuse care over religious beliefs - March 25, 2015Mar 25, 2015 | 22:00New Ontario policy says doctors must treat patients, or refer them, even if it goes against their religious beliefs. Christian doctors across Canada argue the Charter protects their right to refuse care and are willing to go to court to prove it.

IdeasBelonging: The Paradox of Citizenship - The Circle WidensNov 10, 2014 | 53:57Part 1 of the 2014 CBC Massey Lectures by Adrienne Clarkson. The story of the village of Eygalières in France: how it got its freedom in medieval times, and how this revolutionized society.